Magnets in the classroom: 6 experiments for primary education

Magnets are one of the most fun topics for science and technology: children can immediately feel and see for themselves what happens. With a few simple magnets and items from the classroom, you can perform experiments that stick. Below are six lesson ideas for upper primary school (grades 5 to 8), each including what you need and what the children will discover.

First: working safely with magnets in the classroom

For experiments conducted by the children themselves, preferably use bar magnets and educational magnets, such as an alnico bar magnet. These are large enough not to be swallowed. Small, strong neodymium magnets are only suitable for demonstrations by the teacher: if a child swallows two of them, they can clamp together in the intestines. Read more in magnets, children and pets.

1. What is magnetic and what is not?

Needed: a bar magnet and a bin with items: paperclips, coins, aluminum foil, a plastic cap, a nail, a key, a piece of wood, a tin can.

How to do it: let the children first predict which objects will stick to the magnet, then test it. Sort them into two piles.

What they discover: not all metals are magnetic. Iron and steel are, aluminum and copper are not, and coins vary by type. A great starting point for the difference between "metal" and "magnetic." Background: which metals are magnetic?

2. Making the invisible field visible

Needed: a bar magnet, a sheet of paper or a clear plastic tray, and iron filings (or a few small compasses).

How to do it: place the magnet under the paper and carefully sprinkle a thin layer of iron filings on top. Tap the paper gently. It is better to put the iron filings in a sealed bag or container so they do not stick to the magnet and the classroom stays clean.

What they discover: the filings form lines from pole to pole: the magnetic field. The lines are closest together at the poles, which is where the magnet is strongest. See also what is a magnetic field?

3. Attracting and repelling

Needed: two bar magnets, and optionally a few ring magnets and a pencil.

How to do it: bring the magnets together with different sides facing each other and let the children describe what they feel. Then slide ring magnets onto an upright pencil with like poles facing each other: they will float above one another. Perform this last step as the teacher using strong magnets, and keep fingers away from between the rings.

What they discover: opposite poles attract each other, like poles repel each other. Background: why do magnets attract each other?

4. Does a magnet work through other materials?

Needed: a magnet, paperclips, and thin sheets of different materials: paper, cardboard, a wooden board, glass or plexiglass, a steel lid.

How to do it: place a material between the magnet and a paperclip. Does it still work? Then stack more and more sheets of paper until the paperclip falls off, and count them.

What they discover: a magnet works through paper, wood, and glass, but becomes weaker as the distance increases. A steel plate actually "shields" the field. See can magnets work through wood, glass, and plastic?

5. Making your own compass

Needed: a sewing needle, a magnet, a slice of cork, and a small bowl of water.

How to do it: rub one pole of the magnet along the needle twenty to thirty times in the same direction, always from eye to point. Place the needle on the cork and let it float. Compare it with a real compass.

What they discover: the needle has become magnetic itself and turns towards the north, because the Earth also has a large magnetic field. The same principle is used to magnetize a screwdriver.

6. Which magnet is the strongest?

Needed: various magnets (large, small, bar, disc) and a container of paperclips.

How to do it: have the children make a chain of paperclips with each magnet: how many can hang together? Record the results in a table or graph.

What they discover: bigger is not always stronger. The material makes a big difference: a small neodymium magnet can be stronger than a large ferrite magnet. A great opportunity to discuss measuring and comparing fairly. Background: how strong is a neodymium magnet?

Ordering magnets for school

For the classroom, it is best to choose sturdy magnets that can withstand a knock, such as our educational magnets and bar magnets. Are you ordering for multiple classes or an entire school? You will automatically receive volume discounts, and for larger quantities, you can request a quote. Unsure what is suitable for your group? Contact us.